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Staff Assembly General Meeting

Date/Time: September 4, 2012

Location: Dee J. Kelly Center

Welcome: Ms. Kim Weber, Chair, welcomed everyone. May minutes were approved as presented.

Ms. Weber introduced the guests invited to speak to Staff Assembly.

Guests:

Chancellor Boschini – welcomed everyone to a new academic year. Dr. Boschini noted that total enrollment is up this year over last, that TCU remains the second most selective school in Texas, and that this year’s freshman class has the highest SAT and ACT scores in TCU history. In addition, the freshman-to-sophomore retention rate has risen to 89.7 percent from 87 percent last year. The Chancellor also noted TCU’s future construction activities, including a new phase of construction set to begin under the ongoing strategic plan, Vision in Action (VIA). This next phase of VIA has been themed The Academy of Tomorrow, and will incorporate building new facilities on the east side of campus to form an Intellectual Commons that will complement the Campus Commons. Dr. Boschini noted that not unlike every year, the TCU Board of Trustees will take a close look at the rich benefit package enjoyed by TCU faculty and staff. Staff Assembly was urged to consider what changes to the current benefits we would recommend rather than waiting to be told what changes will be made. Dr. Boschini responded to questions raised by Staff Assembly members in regards to how changes to staff benefits would impact current staff salaries by reminding staff members to bring up these questions as committees are formed to consider any changes to the current benefits. Dr. Marie Schein – Chair, Faculty Senate – brought greetings on behalf of Faculty Senate. Dr. Schein provided examples of ways that the Staff Assembly and Faculty Senate have collaborated in the past and shared her hopes for that collaboration to continue. Two examples provided that Dr. Schein hopes will continue this year are the Writing Workshop provided to College Resource participants and the Faculty/Staff Picnic to be held in the spring. Mr. Brent Folan – Student Body President – brought greetings on behalf of the Student Body of TCU. Mr. Folan noted that the Student Government recently adopted the Student Creed. He read the student creed to all members: ―As TCU students we commit to excellence by serving with respect, learning with passion, and leading with integrity.” Mr. Folan challenged all TCU Staff to accept the challenge in a spirit of service and fidelity as members of the global Horned Frog family. He also noted that the Student Government is pushing for students to participate in tail gaiting before TCU football games. Mr. Folan hopes to unveil a secret project he has been working on during Homecoming Festivities.

Old and New Business:

Mr. Randy Chambers, Past-Chair Staff Assembly provided a summary of the process followed that led to the Vacation Policy Change that was effective on 6/1/12. As a result of the hard work of the Policy and Advocacy Committee and the support of the Chancellor’s Cabinet and the Chancellor, all exempt and non-exempt staff at TCU accrues vacation time at the same rate. Randy thanked the Staff Assembly for their support in making this policy change possible.

Ms. Kim Weber asked each Staff Assembly member to introduce themselves along with what division they represent. She also requested that each member meet with their assigned Staff Assembly committee for a short session to discuss potential topics for each committee to focus on this year. Members were dismissed to meet with their respective committees. Upon reconvening, Ms. Weber requested each Committee Chair and Co-Chair to present a few of the ideas generated by their committee members. The meeting concluded with Ms. Weber reminding each member to return their name tags to the check-in table and make sure they signed the attendance document before leaving. The meeting was adjourned at 4:45 pm The next meeting will be held on October 2

nd at 3:30 pm, Dee. J. Kelly Center – Cox Banquet Rooms A &

B

Staff Assembly General Meeting

Date/Time: October 2, 2012

Location: Dee J. Kelly Center

Welcome: Ms. Kim Weber, Chair

Guests:

Lenelda Pennington – IT Security Engineer (Information Security Services)

A few of the points Ms. Pennington reviewed included: • Be skeptical of all emails even those in your TCU email inbox • Be careful about what information you share or post on sites. Assume anyone may be able to see it • Remember that once information is put out on the internet it can never be entirely removed • TCU will never send you an email asking you for your TCU password • Check the "reply-to address" • Never click on links contained in emails, copy them to your browser if you trust them • Report any questionable emails to [email protected] She provided a few examples of phishing emails received by TCU users and answered questions from the audience. More information can be found at www.security.tcu.edu .

Old and New Business:

Staff Assembly Secretary Election: Due to the resignation of Beth McLaughlin as Staff Assembly

Secretary, an election was held at this meeting. Staff Assembly members were sent an email on 9/27/12

mailto:[email protected]

http://www.security.tcu.edu/

requesting nominations for the position of Staff Assembly Secretary. Those nominations were gathered

and a paper ballot created. A simple majority of Staff Assembly members were present as required by

the Bylaws for such an election to be held. Ms. Kim Weber, Chair, requested any nominations from the

floor before the paper ballots were distributed. No nominations from the floor were received and the

paper ballots were distributed. The Staff Assembly members nominated were Murielle Wright

(Education), Sheri Milhollin (ID Center), and Karen Bowerman (IT). Ballots were gathered and counted

by members of the Staff Assembly Elections Committee and Sheri Milhollin was elected as the new Staff

Assembly Secretary.

Staff Assembly Committee Reports: Staff Assembly members gathered with their assigned

committees for a short period of discussion. Committee Reports were provided by the Chair/Co-Chairs of

each committee. Highlights of each committee’s work are noted below.

Elections Committee: Ms. Cindy McPherson, Chair - This committee is focusing on upgrading the

election process for Staff Assembly to make it easier for staff to nominate and vote for representation

for their division. They are also working with the Professional Development Committee to increase

interest in staff serving their constituents through Staff Assembly. Finally, these committee members

will assist the Committee on Committees with contacting Staff Assembly members regarding

attendance at monthly meetings per the Bylaws.

Policy and Advocacy Committee: Ms. Charme Cone and Ms. Carlene Coover, Co-Chairs - This

committee is focusing on gathering a complete list of all benefits provided to TCU staff. These

benefits will then be researched and discussions held regarding their priority from the staff viewpoint.

College Resources Committee: Ms. Martha Gonzalez and Mr. Matthew Millns, Co-Chairs This

committee is coordinating the High School College Night Event on October 22nd

in Cox C of the Kelly

Center from 6-9 pm. An email remainder will be sent out to all TCU faculty and staff along with the

English and Spanish applications for the College Resources program. This committee will be putting

together gift bags for the High School Night Event and would like to fill them with items bearing a TCU

department name. Any TCU department willing to donate items bearing a department name should

contact either Martha Gonzalez or Matt Millns.

Professional Development Committee: Ms. Lisa Aven and Ms. Bridget Ledesma, Co-Chairs -

This committee is working to schedule a Lunch and Learn Event focusing on Utilizing Social Media.

This event will include training led by Dr. Andrew Chavez, TCU’s Director of Digital Media in the

Schieffer School of Journalism. The event is scheduled for November 27th in Tucker Technology,

Room 139. Registration information will be forthcoming. Also in the works are Staff Assembly

Informational Meetings to provide information to staff about Staff Assembly. Past committee

successes and upcoming changes in elections will be provided. A PowerPoint of the information

provided will be created as well.

Committee on Committees: Ms. Terri Robinett, Chair - This committee is currently working on a

written policy to be used when considering staff appointments to University Committees. There is

currently no written policy or procedure that Staff Assembly follows for these appointments. Also to

be reviewed is the method that Staff Assembly members are assigned to a Staff Assembly

Committee. The use of two SharePoint surveys (one for University Committees and one for Staff

Assembly Committees) is creating confusion among staff. Finally, this committee will work closely

with the Staff Assembly Secretary and Elections Committee to replace any open position within a

university or Staff Assembly committee as needed.

Community Service Committee: Mr. Richard Oliver and Mr. Jason Eagar, Co-Chairs - This

committee is organizing the Staff Assembly table at the Free Flu Shot Clinic. This committee is also

organizing the Starpoint Halloween Event on 10/31/12 from 10:30 am to noon. Any staff member

wishing to assist with handing out candy should report to Daniel Meyer Coliseum by 9:45 am.

Information will be sent all Staff Assembly members via email regarding candy and sticker donation

drop off locations.

Media and Communications Committee: Mr. Jim Gribble, Chair - This committee will schedule

Staff Assembly member photos to be taken at the November 6th meeting. Updates have been made

to the Staff Assembly web site, so all members are encouraged to review and send any suggestions

for modifications to Jim Gribble. The Voice newsletter will be published again by this committee. A

draft copy of the first edition this year was provided for review. Ideas about what to include in

upcoming newsletters are always welcome.

Announcements and Open Forum:

Ms. Weber reminded all members to sign-in using the attendance sheet at table outside the meeting

room. Attendance is a requirement for all members of Staff Assembly per the Bylaws.

Ms. Weber opened the floor for any announcements or questions. Mr. Clyde Ridge (Physical Plant)

brought forth a motion to discuss the current policy of Personal Leave time utilized by Non-Exempt

employees. Based on requests from his constituents, Mr. Ridge is asking for Staff Assembly to request

that Human Resources rescind the Personal Leave policy for Non-Exempt employees since Exempt

employees do not receive the same amount of time off. Also noted by Mr. Ridge was the recent

equalization of all benefits between Non-Exempt and Exempt staff members. However, the Personal

Leave time policy only benefits Non-Exempt staff. Also, Mr. Ridge reported that per his constituents,

some staff members are abusing the use of Personal Leave and will take off the last Friday of the month

or at other inconvenient times. Mr. Ridge was not aware if the appropriate supervisor had addressed this

abuse with the employee or employees they manage. After a period of discussion, Mr. Greg Blackwell

(Athletics) made a motion that the Staff Assembly Policy and Advocacy Committee consider Mr. Ridge’s

request and provide a response at the next Staff Assembly meeting in November. Mr. Brad Murphy

(Campus Police) provided the second to that motion. Ms. Weber instructed the Policy and Advocacy

Committee to consider Mr. Ridge’s request and offered to assist as needed.

The meeting was adjourned at 4:45 pm

Because of the Board Meeting in the Dee J. Kelly Center in November, the next meeting will be held on November 6

th in the BLUU Auditorium at 3:30 pm.

Staff Assembly General Meeting Minutes

Date/Time: November 6, 2012

Location: Brown Lupton University Union Auditorium


Guests:

Olivia Caridi, Skiff Report on assignment attending this month’s Staff Assembly meeting and blogged about it…live!

April Brown – Assistant Director of Assessment and Retention, Inclusiveness and Intercultural Services

and Veterans Services, Chair-Veterans Services Task Force

TCU currently has approximately 300 student Veterans, 100 military dependents using the Post 9-11 GI bill, 250 Faculty/Staff Veterans and very active Air Force and Army ROTC programs. TCU held its first Veterans Celebration in 2009 after a student who began college at TCU was deployed before graduating. The student returned to TCU and voiced concern because of his struggle to locate and connect with other veteran students. The first celebration was a two-hour event with a luncheon and one static display and was attended by 80 people. In 2011 over 300 people attended the Veteran’s Celebration which was sponsored by the TCU Community and off-campus sponsors. The goal is to make TCU’s Veteran’s Celebration “the” Veteran’s celebration to attend in the Fort Worth community. One piece of evidence that strides are being made toward this goal is the participation of a World War II Veteran in last year’s Veteran’s Walk. The week of November 11-16 TCU will host at least one event each day in honor of Veterans. Opportunities include attending ceremonies and/or luncheons, making cards for the troops, watching a documentary, taking a walk with Veterans, planting flags, or purchasing yellow ribbons for placement on University Drive. For more information April Brown can be contacted directly. Staff Assembly voted to be a part of the Yellow Ribbon Celebration and will purchase a ribbon that will

be tied to a tree on University Drive on Sunday, November 11th.

Old and New Business: The October minutes were approved as presented with a motion from Ms. Lisa Aven (Physical Plan Administration) and a second by Mr. Richard Oliver (Housing and Residential Life). Attendance Requirement: Ms. Kim Weber, Chair reminded all members that attendance at the monthly

Staff Assembly meetings is a requirement per the Bylaws. Members that have missed two meetings to

date will be contacted by Ms. Sheri Milhollin, Secretary also per the Bylaws. Because you were elected

to represent your division within Staff Assembly, you have a responsibility to come to the meetings and

gather the information to share with your constituents.

Per the Staff Assembly Bylaws, ―If a Representative misses two meetings during the year, the Assembly secretary shall notify the incumbent and inquire as to the Representative's intentions. Should the Representative wish to vacate the seat, the person receiving the second highest number of votes will assume the seat. If a third absence occurs, it will be assumed that the incumbent has vacated the seat. Within three (3) weeks of the third absence, a written appeal for reinstatement outlining the extenuating circumstances can be made to the Executive Committee of the Staff Assembly. Prior to the next Staff Assembly meeting, the Executive Committee will inform the representative of its decision regarding reinstatement or replacement by the first alternate.” Personal Leave for Non-Exempt Staff Discover: In light of the recent equalization of vacation benefits

for nonexempt employees and in response to the motion made in the October 2012 meeting by Mr. Clyde

Ridge (Building and Equipment), the Policy and Advocacy committee researched the Personal Leave

Benefit to determine if this benefit should be rescinded in an attempt to further equalize benefits between

exempt and nonexempt employees. The Personal Leave Benefit reads as follows:

―A full-time nonexempt staff may request a maximum of two hours paid personal leave each month.

Personal leave allows the employee to take care of business which can be accomplished only during

regular work hours and is not covered by other types of leave. This may include driver’s license renewal,

legal business and parent/teacher conferences. Personal leave is granted at supervisory discretion and

does not accumulate from one month to the next.‖

The following statement, which reflects the findings of the Policy and Advocacy Committee, was read by

Ms. Kim Weber, Chair.

―After consideration, the Policy and Advocacy Committee recommends making no change to the Personal

Leave Policy. The Personal Leave Policy is well written and clearly defined. The Personal Leave Policy is

consistent with other education, governmental, and corporate institutions. As Staff Assembly reviews all

benefits provided to TCU staff, this benefit will be evaluated as well. Abuses to the Personal Leave Policy

should be reported by following procedures defined by your department and/or contacting Human

Resources.‖

Ms. Mary Jane Allred (Academic Affairs) asked if the committee had checked to see if this was an OSHA

requirement. The committee did indeed check and it is not an OSHA requirement.

Committee Budget Requests: Ms. Kim Weber, Chair and Ms. Suzie Mahony (Extended Education),

Treasurer presented a copy of the current Staff Assembly budget and requested that each Committee

Chair submit a budget request to the Treasurer as soon as possible, preferably before the December

meeting. The Staff Assembly annual budget is $7360. At this time the budget requests total $1647.68.

Ms. Weber and Ms. Mahony reiterated that Staff Assembly desires to use all allotted funds but will

continue to do so in a responsible manner.

Several questions followed:

Q: Ms. Murielle Wright (Education) asked, ―How is the Staff Assembly budget funded?‖

A: Ms. Kim Weber, Chair: The Staff Assembly budget is funded by the Chancellor’s office.

Q: Ms. Wright asked, ―Does it carry over or it is use–it-or-lose-it?‖

A: Ms. Kim Weber, Chair: It is a ―use-it-or-lose-it‖.

Ms. Carlene Coover (Information Technology) added that last year we did have some unused

budget funds at the end of the year which was applied to the Faculty/Staff Picnic.

Q: Ms. Coover asked, ―How much of this budget do we spend on the Faculty/Staff Picnic and who

makes up the rest of the cost for that event?

A: Ms. Kim Weber, Chair: Staff Assembly contributes $2500. Faculty Senate contributes $5000.

Last year, the Chancellor’s office made up the difference.

Q: Mr. Drew Brown (Mechanical & Electrical Maintenance) asked, ―For clarification, of the

remaining $5712.32, $2500 will be set aside to help fund the Faculty/Staff Picnic leaving

$3212.32?‖

A: Ms. Suzy Mahony, Treasurer: Correct

Q: Ms. Mary Jane Allred (Doctor of Nursing) asked, ―Does the refreshments budget line currently

on the budget reflect refreshment expenses for Staff Assembly meetings only at this point?‖

A: Ms. Kim Weber, Chair: The current budget line for refreshment does reflect refreshments for

the Staff Assembly meetings but it also includes the refreshments served at the recent College

Night event organized by the College Resources Committee.

Staff Assembly Committee Reports: Staff Assembly members gathered with their assigned

committees for a short period of discussion. Committee Reports were provided by the Chair/Co-Chairs of

each committee. Highlights of each committee’s work are noted below.

Elections Committee: Ms. Cindy McPherson, Chair - Currently the Staff Assembly Bylaws do not

contain a provision or procedure for replacing an incumbent who separates from Staff Assembly in a

division in which there are no alternates from the previous election. The Elections Committee

proposed that in the absence of a policy for this academic year that replacing representation will only

occur in the event that a division’s representation drops more than 20% and in that event a mini-

election will be held. This committee will continue to review this situation and make a proposal to be

included in the Bylaws beginning in 2013-2014.

This committee continues to focus on upgrading the election process for Staff Assembly to make it

easier for staff to nominate and vote for representation for their division, working with the Professional

Development Committee to increase staff members’ interest serving their constituents through Staff

Assembly, assisting the Committee on Committees with contacting Staff Assembly members

regarding attendance at monthly meetings per the Bylaws.

Mr. Clyde Ridge (Building and Equipment) asked that the bylaw provision that the Executive

Committee can appoint up to three additional members of Staff Assembly could be exercised to fulfill

such a void. Ms. Kim Weber, Chair shared that the Executive Committee has already exercised this

provision and has already appointed three members for the 2012-2013 year.

Policy and Advocacy Committee: Ms. Charme Cone and Ms. Carlene Coover, Co-Chairs

Committee is focusing on gathering a complete list of all benefits provided to TCU staff. These

benefits will then be researched and discussions held regarding their priority from the staff viewpoint.

The current focus of research pertains to the Tuition Assistance benefit.

College Resources Committee: Ms. Martha Gonzalez and Mr. Matthew Millns, Co-Chairs

This committee reports that the High School College Night Event was a huge success. The

expectation of thirty to forty attendees was surpassed with over one hundred students attending with

family members. This event was geared to first generation college students and many questions were

answered and suggestions given on how these students can begin preparation to meet the TCU

admissions criteria.

Upcoming events include SAT and ACT training and test preparation, writing seminars, a tour of

campus, and tutoring for TAKS testing which will begin on Mondays and Tuesdays in February.

Professional Development Committee: Ms. Lisa Aven and Ms. Bridget Ledesma, Co-Chairs A

Lunch and Learn Event focusing on Utilizing Social Media. This event will include training led by Dr.

Andrew Chavez, TCU’s Director of Digital Media in the Schieffer School of Journalism and is

scheduled for November 27th in Tucker Technology, Room 139. Registration for this event is located

at the Human Resources website or by going to my.tcu.edu and following the links for training class

registration.

Aisha Torrey-Sawyer (Neeley Academic Advising), Chair Elect, asked if this event had limited

seating. Lisa Aven (Physical Plant Administration) responded that currently the event is limited to 36.

If more than 36 would like to register the committee will try to accommodate a larger number or they

may consider scheduling a second event.

Committee on Committees: Ms. Terri Robinett, Chair - This committee chose two appointees for

placement on various TCU committees and submitted these names to Mary Nell Kirk. This committee

continues to work on a written policy to be used when considering staff appointments to University

Committees. There is currently no written policy or procedure that Staff Assembly follows for these

appointments. Also to be reviewed is the method that Staff Assembly members are assigned to a

Staff Assembly Committee.

Community Service Committee: Mr. Richard Oliver and Mr. Jason Eagar, Co-Chairs - This

committee reports that the Starpoint and KinderFrogs Halloween Event hosted by Staff Assembly was

quite a success. The Starpoint student who dressed as Gary Patterson, complete with a belly and

frequent stops to retie his shoes, made a big impression! Thanks to everyone who donated candy

and to those who helped pass it out.

The community service committee would like to present an opportunity to the TCU Staff to collect

items to be donated to the Child Protective Services organizations located in both Parker and Tarrant

counties. Mr. Oliver (Housing and Residential Life) will contact both CPS offices and request a list of

items from each location.

Ms. Kim Weber, Chair asked if clothing items could be gently used. Mr. Oliver said he would ask and

a committee member said she thinks they prefer new items. Please look for emails from Mr. Kendrick

Gholston (Athletics Academics) and/or Ms. Patti Sellers (Information Technology) regarding

participation in this community service opportunity.

Clyde Ridge (Physical Plant) asked if some of the funds in the Staff Assembly budget could be put

toward this community service project. Ms. Kim Weber, Chair, replied yes and explained that this

should be done through a budget request.

Ms. Weber added that Marilyn Tolbert from Starpoint asked her to thank Staff Assembly on behalf of

the students, faculty, and staff of Starpoint and KinderFrogs for hosting such a successful Halloween

Event for these students.

Media and Communications Committee: Mr. Jim Gribble, Chair - This committee issued a

challenge to all Staff Assembly members to speak to two or three colleagues and share with them

personally something that is being discussed in Staff Assembly. This is an effort to encourage staff

members to share their ideas and thoughts with their elected representation and to remind staff that

the purpose of Staff Assembly is to voice the concerns of TCU Staff members. Paper copies of The

Voice will be available in both English and Spanish. If you would like to hand copies out to your

constituents please contact Mr. Jim Gribble (Library). This committee would like to include a ―Letters

to the Editor‖ type feature in The Voice. Suggestions and contributions should be sent to Mr. Gribble.

This committee plans to put out two more editions of this publication by the end of 2013 and has set a

goal to have one edition per month thereafter.


Ms. Weber reminded all members to sign-in using the attendance sheet at table outside the meeting

room. Attendance is a requirement for all members of Staff Assembly per the Bylaws.

Ms. Weber encouraged each member to have a photo taken for placement on the Staff Assembly website

thus allowing staff members to see a photo of those who represent them. If you have a photo you would

like to use, please email it to Jim Gribble.

The assembly was reminded that today is a presidential election day and encouraged everyone to vote.

Motion to adjourn was submitted by Mr. Greg Blackwell (Athletics, TCU Frog Club) and a second was

rendered by Mr. Randy Chambers,(Ground Maintenance), Past Chair.


.


(Approved minutes as of 2/05/12)

Date/Time: December 04, 2012

Location: D.J. Kelly Alumni Center


Guests: Wendy Bell, Zavdy Martinez, Debbie Alenius, Marsha Ramsey, Diedra Turner, Jill Deramus, Victoria Chen, Michael Leschner, Tracy Harris, Matthew Coffer, Stuart Reed, Ashley Sutton, Missy Haines, Christina Rector; Richard Janak

Speaker: Brian Gutierrez, Vice Chancellor for Finance and Administration The following summary of Mr. Gutierrez’ presentation to Staff Assembly was provided by his office:

“Brian Gutierrez, Vice Chancellor for Finance and Administration, gave a presentation on current budget issues. He started by discussing the projects that were approved at the Board of Trustees strategic retreat in February 2012. One of them is the Intellectual Commons, which will begin to take shape in early spring with the construction of a new instructional building, the expansion of the Bass building and a remodel of the library. Later, there are plans for an expansion of the business school, if fundraising efforts are successful. Another strategic project is located at Worth Hills, where two new sophomore residence halls are already under construction, and they will be followed by a third new residence hall, a new parking garage, and finally a complete remodel of the Greek residence halls. He then discussed how tuition is a major part of the University’s funding base, and how annual budget surpluses are an important, and planned, source of funds for strategic initiatives. In November, the Board of Trustees approved a 5.8%, or $2,000, increase in undergraduate tuition. Most of the increase will be used to fund operations, but the Board of Trustees specifically designated that 0.8% of the 5.8% increase be used solely for additional financial aid. The University also plans to set aside an additional $2 million per year for financial aid, if needed. If it is not needed, it will be invested in the endowment to produce endowed funding for aid in the future. Total financial aid this year is expected to be just over $100 million, or about one-third of total tuition revenue. This ratio of aid to tuition, known as the discount rate, is much lower than most of our competitors, but the strength of our University and its academic programs as well as the experience of attending TCU continue to attract students. He closed his presentation by discussing the strategic academic initiatives: improve SAT and ACT scores, fortify key programs, strengthen the teacher/scholar model, and target the student/faculty ratio. The increased enrollment over the last few years has brought enrollment close to the target level approved by the Board of Trustees, and as enrollment flattens out, it is expected that operating expenses will also begin to flatten out. The University continues to deal with the challenge of balancing strategic needs with available resources.”

New Business

The November minutes were accepted and approved as presented.

Committee Reports

Elections Committee: Ms. Cindy McPherson, Chair:

No new developments to report.


This committee continues to gather information and compile a list of all benefits provided to TCU staff.

This report will be given to the Chancellor in December. The Chancellor has also asked Faculty

Senate to prepare a similar report. UCAC (University Compensation and Advisory Committee) will be

the committee that will be tasked with reviewing the TCU benefits and arranging them by priority.


This committee continues to organize tutoring on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday evenings for

children of TCU employees; grades 6 through 12. They continue to fine-tune the planning of

upcoming events which include SAT and ACT training and test preparation, writing seminars, a tour

of campus, and tutoring for TAKS testing which will begin on Mondays and Tuesdays in February.

Professional Development Committee: Ms. Lisa Aven and Ms. Bridget Ledesma, Co-Chairs

The Lunch and Learn Event focusing on Utilizing Social Media was very successful with thirty-four in

attendance. The committee continues to make plans for the spring. An information piece will be

created to focus on educating staff on the purpose and accomplishments of Staff Assembly. The

format is to be determined (perhaps a lunch and learn).

Currently the plans for the spring Lunch and Learn Event will focus on educating staff on the purpose

and accomplishments of Staff Assembly.

Committee on Committees: Ms. Terri Robinett, Chair - This committee was contacted for a

replacement for someone that was placed on a university committee just two months ago. At that time

the committee actually identified two eligible staff members so there was already an alternate in

place. The alternate’s name has already been submitted to Mary Nell Kirk.

Community Service Committee: Mr. Richard Oliver and Mr. Jason Eagar, Co-Chairs

This committee reports that just under 100 toys and packages of diapers have been collected for

CPS. The Order of Omega, which is cross-Greek organization, is also working with CPS of Tarrant

County. The committee will make contact with Order of Omega in an effort to discover how they are

involved with Tarrant County CPS.

Mr. Richard Oliver shared that due to the unpredictability of the number of children that will need

assistance from a CPS office, area CPS offices work together. Sometimes a child from Parker County

is placed in a home in Tarrant County, for example.

CPS offices have a room called ―The Rainbow Room‖ which is stocked with new toys and some

supplies. This is often one of the first couple of stops a child makes after being removed from a home.

The toys and diapers we collect will go to help stock these rooms.

Donations will be accepted through Friday, December 14, 2012.

Media and Communications Committee: Mr. Jim Gribble, Chair

In an effort to open lines of communication between staff and Staff Assembly members and to

increase awareness about Staff Assembly, this committee agreed to draft a ―Welcome from Staff

Assembly‖ email and send it to new members. Ms. Sheri Milhollin (SAIS, ID Center) drafted an email

and it was reviewed by the Executive Committee. The first round of this email was sent out on

December 4, 2012 to 24 new staff members who have joined TCU since September 1, 2012. A copy

of the email, which is personalized with the new employee first name and a list of the actual Staff

Assembly representative from their particular division, was passed out for review.

Ms. Murielle Wright suggested that a similar email be drafted and sent out to all TCU staff members

in an effort to make sure that all TCU staff members have this information and know where to find the

Staff Assembly website.

Ms. Jill Laster also requested that a similar email be sent to all staff at least once a year, preferably

prior to elections in an effort to raise awareness and hopefully interest in serving on Staff Assembly.

A challenge was sent to Staff Assembly members to bring someone with them to the December

meeting. The result of this challenge is that we had 14 guests in attendance.


For the benefit of our visitors Ms. Weber asked Martha Gonzalez for a quick overview of the history of the

College Resource Committee and the services it provides. Ms. Gonzales (Human Resources) explained

that the College Resource program began in an effort to help TCU employees with a language barrier

understand the tuition benefit available to them. This program was quickly expanded to serving all TCU

employees who had a child who would be the first in their family to go to college. For a short time the

services were extended to students outside of TCU but it became clear that with the resources available

to this committee the program would need to scale back to just serving TCU employees and their families.

Ms. Weber made the Assembly aware that ―Purple Notes‖ were available for pick up at the name badge

table. These are Staff Assembly blank thank you notes. Staff Assembly members are encouraged to take

some of these notes and use them to encourage other Staff members.

Ms. Weber acknowledged Brad Murphey for his 9 years of service to TCU. He is leaving TCU and moving

to Midland where he has already secured a job on the college police force.


.



Date/Time: February 05, 2013



Old and New Business

The December minutes were accepted and approved as presented. Chancellor Boschini sends his regrets regarding his inability to attend today’s Staff Assembly meeting. He is accompanying students to Austin to speak on behalf of Higher Education funding. He will speak at the April Staff Assembly meeting.

Kim Weber presented a current budget review which includes the total budget and expenditures to date. There was some confusion about expected expenditures which are not reflected on the budget such as the upcoming Faculty/Staff picnic and funds that have been allocated for use by the College Resources group.

Committee Reports


This committee has been working closely with the Committee on Committees in an effort to more

clearly communicate the opportunities for staff to serve on Staff Assembly as well as various other

university committees. A survey which will include a description of all university committees as well as

Staff Assembly is being constructed and will be ready to send to all staff by the end of February. The

survey will include a questionnaire designed to allow each staff person to communicate their interest

in any/all of the committees. Those who respond showing an interest in Staff Assembly will then be

included on the 2013-2014 Staff Assembly election ballots. Those who respond showing interest in

university committees will be placed on a list and considered for placement on said committee(s).


This committee continues to gather information and compile a list of all benefits provided to TCU staff.

This report will be given to the Chancellor when complete. The Chancellor has also asked Faculty

Senate to prepare a similar report. UCAC (University Compensation and Advisory Committee) will be

the committee that will be tasked with reviewing the TCU benefits and arranging them by priority.


Kristin Kirkpatrick reported that this committee continues to organize tutoring on Tuesday,

Wednesday and Thursday evenings for children of TCU employees; grades 6 through 12. Currently

12 to 16 TCU student tutors are working with approximately thirty-five 6-12 grade students.

Participants check in at main lobby of the Tucker Technology building and are then directed to the

appropriate classroom. The committee continues to fine-tune the planning of upcoming events which

include SAT and ACT training and test preparation, writing seminars, a tour of campus, and tutoring

for TAKS testing which will began on Mondays and Tuesdays in February.


This committee continues to make plans for the spring. An information piece will be created to focus

on educating staff on the purpose and accomplishments of Staff Assembly. The format is to be

determined (perhaps a lunch and learn).

Committee on Committees: Ms. Terri Robinett, Chair - This committee has been working with the

Elections Committee. Please refer to that section of this document for more details.

Community Service Committee: Aisha Torrey-Sawyer, Chair-Elect

With the resignation of the former Co-Chair of this committee and the remaining Co-Chair leaving

TCU to pursue other opportunities, it has been decided that now would be a good time to re-evaluate

this sub-committee’s mission. An invitation to be a part of a Community Service Committee Focus

Group, which will be conducted by Aisha Torrey-Sawyer, Chair-elect, has been extended to all

members of Staff Assembly.

This focus group will meet for lunch on Wednesday, February 20th in the East Private Dining Room in

Market Square from 11:30am to 1pm. The focus group will be respectful of lunch hour times and

attendants may come and go. Attendants should use a swipe from their employee meal plan to

attend. Anyone who does not have an employee meal plan but would like to attend should contact

Sheri Milhollin and arrangements for lunch will be made.

If you would like to be a part of this focus group, please RSVP to Sheri Milhollin at

[email protected].


The second round of ―Welcome to Staff Assembly‖ emails was sent out to 17 new staff members on

February 1, 2013.

Staff members can now send comments, questions, and observations confidentially to Staff Assembly

through the Staff Assembly website. This option will be announced in the next Staff Assembly

newsletter.


As a part of the charge from the Chancellor to help determine the current employee benefits and the

importance of these benefits to TCU staff members, the Policy and Advocacy Committee drafted a

short 2-section survey which has been approved by the Executive Committee. The first section asks

participants to rank the importance of the top 5 benefits in relation to how they may or may not have

influenced the decision of the participant to accept a position at TCU. The second section asks the

participant to rank the influence of the same five benefits as it pertains to the participant continuing

employment at TCU. At this time, only members of Staff Assembly are being asked to take this

survey. The results will be given to the Chancellor and to UCAC (University Compensation and

Advisory Committee) and may be used as a tool for use by this committee which will be tasked with

reviewing the TCU benefits and arranging them by priority.

Zorona Jones (Nursing) asked that the Staff Assembly Executive Committee discuss the policy

pertaining to outside education hours as it related to an employee’s attendance.


mailto:[email protected]



Date/Time: March 05, 2013




The February minutes were accepted and approved as presented.

Dr. Jane Kucko, Director of International Education and John Singleton, Director of International Student Services gave a presentation on Purple Passport.

• Purple Passport: Discovering Global Citizenship is TCU’s Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP). • Its purpose is to transform learning at TCU by infusing international perspectives and skills

throughout the institution. • Our approach is grounded in the philosophy that global citizenship is an individual choice and an

institutional imperative. •

This program currently has 20 committee members and over 50 committee and task force members. Future plans include student focus groups, presentations to the community, and presentations to TCU units. This program is the result of ―Recognizing TCU students will live and work in an increasingly globalized

world, a team of faculty and staff (including student input) have designed Purple Passport to bring the

world to TCU in order to more fully engage with the world.”

The committee research suggests that 28 percent of TCU students report an international experience

such as study abroad. Six to eight percent of our current student body is made up of international

students while only three to six percent of our staff has already had a significant international experience

to bring to the table.

• The program will strive to provide:

• ―systematic, integrative, measurable support for TCU’s mission, “. . . to educate ethical leaders

and responsible citizens in the global community” .

• a strategic upgrade within the university by addressing intensively the fourth Vision in Action

cardinal principle: to accelerate TCU's connections with the greater community: Fort Worth,

Texas, the nation and the world.

• crucial support for the Chancellor’s and Trustees’ vision to be a world-class, values-centered

university.”

Outcomes will focus on three distinctive groups:

―Students:

• systematic, integrative, measurable support for TCU’s mission, “. . . to educate ethical leaders

and responsible citizens in the global community” .

• a strategic upgrade within the university by addressing intensively the fourth Vision in Action

cardinal principle: to accelerate TCU's connections with the greater community: Fort Worth,

Texas, the nation and the world.

• crucial support for the Chancellor’s and Trustees’ vision to be a world-class, values-centered

university.

Faculty and Staff

1. Demonstrate cultural empathy and intercultural competence.

2. Develop and apply new ways of integrating global citizenship into their teaching, scholarship, and

work.

3. Engage in international and comparative experiences to become agents of transformation.

TCU as an institution:

1. TCU will identify and host visiting scholars and experts who will engage the TCU community with

global issues.”

There are 11 new initiatives that bring the world to TCU in addition to other international experiences—

both local and global. Virtual Voyage, TCU Global Academy, Global Citizenship Residential Living, Global

Innovators, Visiting Scholars, World Programming Grants, All Abroad, Local-Global Leaders, International

Advisory Council, International Common, Global International Alumni Project.

Recently a survey was sent to all faculty and staff as information in an effort to gather information that is

being used as this program continues to evolve. To date, the survey has uncovered more than 600

Faculty and Staff members have volunteered to be a resource for this project. Staff and faculty members

who have not yet completed the survey are encouraged to do so.

To learn more about each of these initiatives please visit www.purplepassport.tcu.edu and/or visit the

Facebook page.

Committee Reports


Final preparations are being made to email a survey from Staff Assembly to all staff members asking

each to indicate an interest in serving on Staff Assembly or on university committees. A big ―Thank

you!‖ was extended to Aisha Torrey-Sawyer and Zoranna Jones for their work on the survey. Kim

Weber has been in touch with the Chancellor’s office and requested that Dr. Boschini send out an

email to all staff members alerting them to watch for the Staff Assembly survey and to include a show

of support for staff giving of their time and talents to Staff Assembly.

It was discovered that the Community Service Committee had been mistakenly omitted and will be

included in the final version of the survey.

http://www.purplepassport.tcu.edu/

Staff showing an interest in Staff Assembly will then be included on the 2013-2014 Staff Assembly

election ballots. Those who respond showing interest in university committees will be placed on a

reserve list and considered for placement on said committee(s). Hard copies and copies in Spanish

will be available.


As a response to the suggestion from the Chancellor to review current staff benefits and consider a

ranking of those benefits as they pertain to TCU staff, the Policy and Advocacy Committee drafted a

short two section survey which was approved by the Executive Committee. The first section requests

the participant to rank the importance of five benefits in relation to how they may or may not have

influenced the decision of the participant to accept a position at TCU. The second section requests

the participant to rank the influence of the same five benefits as it pertains to the participant

continuing employment at TCU.

60 members of Staff Assembly completed the survey. 52 of those surveys were completed following

the directions and the results of those surveys are listed below:

Age Ranges: Employment Status

Age not given: 3 Not given: 7

65 and older 3 Non-Exempt: 23

55 to 64: 17 Exempt: 22

45 to 54: 16

35 to 44: 8

22 to 34: 5

**Per Human Resources the average age of TCU Staff is 49 years of age.

Ranking of #1- most important

#1 Influence to ACCEPT Position #1 Influence to REMAIN at TCU

Tuition Benefit 21 out of /52 Tuition Benefit 14 out of /52

Base Salary 14 out of /52 Base Salary 13 out of /52

Retirement Benefit 7 out of /52 Retirement Benefit 17 out of /52

Health Insurance 5 out of /52 Health Insurance 5 out of /52

Vacation/Holidays 5 out of /52 Vacation/Holidays 3 out of /52

Ranking of #5- least important

#5 Influence to ACCEPT Position #5 Influence to REMAIN at TCU

Tuition Benefit 16 out of /52 Tuition Benefit 26 out of /52

Base Salary 12 out of /52 Base Salary 12 out of /52

Retirement Benefit 8 out of /52 Retirement Benefit 2 out of /52

Health Insurance 13 out of /52 Health Insurance 6 out of /52

Vacation/Holidays 3 out of /52 Vacation/Holidays 6 out of /52


Martha Gonzales reported that the tutoring sessions have now ended and this committee is looking

forward to the TCU Tour. Invitations to ―Tour TCU‖ have already been extended to those students

who are already registered members of the College Resources Program. An email and flyer are being

crafted and will be emailed to all staff members in the next week.

Tour TCU will take place on March 14, 2013 from 8:30am to 2pm and will include photos with Super

Frog, a visit to the Chancellor’s office, visits to various departments on campus as well as free lunch.


The spring Lunch and Learn professional development workshop will be a ―Social Styles Inventory‖

and will be led by Kelly O’Brien from the Neeley School. It is scheduled for April 11 from 11:30am to

1pm in Tucker 139 and lunch will be provided. There are 60 slots available and registration for this

event is available through the HR website.

Committee on Committees: Ms. Terri Robinett, Chair - This committee has been working with the

Elections Committee. Please refer to that section of this document for more details.


The focus group met for lunch on Wednesday, February 20th in the East Private Dining Room in

Market Square from 11:30am to 1pm.

1) Committee should plan 2013-2014 projects during the spring or 2013 2) Committee should collaborate with other organizations on campus at Christmas 3) Committee should pursue projects with organizations that already have a relationship with TCU 4) Committee should limit the number of projects that will require a financial “ask” Staff assembly members were encouraged to consider serving on this committee and a special invitation to consider chairing this committee was extended.


Copies of the next SA Voice newsletter were passed out for review. It has been translated into

Spanish and hard copies will be available in both English and Spanish.

Staff Assembly members were encouraged to visit the SA website and leave a comment or question

in the new ―Comments‖ section. They were also asked to encourage their constituents to do the

same. This can be done anonymously.


Kim Weber, Chair, has recently accepted a position in Human Resources. When searching the bylaws to

discover a precedent of how to handle an elected representative moving out of the department from

which they were elected into a different department no mention of this situation was found. Aisha Torrey-

Sawyer made a motion that this situation be discussed by the Executive Board who will be tasked with

coming up with the verbiage to amend the bylaws to reflect such a situation. The Executive Board will

then bring the statement back to the Staff Assembly body for review and approval.

A lively discussion and debate took place over the perceived reasons that Chancellor is asking Staff

Assembly and Faculty Senate to gather information concerning benefits and their individual importance to

employees.

Kim Weber reminded members that she and Faculty Senate Chair Dr. Marie Schein, Past-Chair of Staff

Assembly Randy Chambers and Past-Chair of Faculty Senate Dan Williams met with the Chancellor early

this year and one of his requests was that that Staff Assembly and Faculty Senate help gather

information that would help him defend the benefits package to the Board of Trustees. The Policy and

Advocacy Committee has risen to this challenge by:

1) Searching the TCU website to locate benefits information

2) Worked directly with Human Resources to put together a list of benefits

3) Shared the information it has already gathered with Faculty Senate

4) Drafted and implemented a benefits survey to Staff Assembly

5) Shared the basic survey format with Faculty Senate

6) Began benchmarking efforts with peer, aspirant, and other Big 12 schools

The question was asked if the entire staff was going to be given the survey that Staff Assembly members

took last month. This question came because Faculty Senate has reached beyond its members and

presented a survey to all faculty members. At this time Staff Assembly does not intent to extend this

survey opportunity to the entire staff as the Chancellor only requested information from Staff Assembly.

Concern was expressed that as employees, we are not being told the entire story and the perception is

that benefit cuts may already be on the table. Some feel that administration is only asking for employee

input so that they can say that employees were consulted when in reality decisions are already being

made prior to the employees being consulted.

Several members sited accepting a position at TCU with a lower salary because they felt that TCU’s rich

benefit compensated for the lower salary. Some members feel that if benefits are cut that they may have

to reconsider staying at TCU.

Some Staff Assembly members who have experience working in the business world as compared to the

field of education expresses gratitude for the opportunity to even be invited into this type of conversation

by administration. This is not a practice that is seen in the business world. TCU has a rich sense of

community and as such employees of TCU are, from time to time, asked for input and opinions. They also

shared their feeling that this decision is ultimately made by the Board of Trustees which is made of up

successful business men and woman and that this may come down to a bottom line business decision.

As Past-Chair of Staff Assembly Randy Chambers serves as a Co-Chair of UCAC (University

Compensation and Advisory Committee) which is the committee that has been charged with looking at all

the information being gathered by Staff Assembly and Faculty Senate and will be tasked with reviewing

the TCU benefits and presenting a summary of the discussions that have taken place. Randy shared that

UCAC is gathering information from a number of sources and will continue reviewing information as they

work toward providing a recommendation to the Chancellor.




Date/Time: April 02, 2013



Guests: Chancellor Victor Boschini Ms. Janine Kraus, Assistant Vice Chancellor, Annual Giving

Ms. Kraus came to present the Faculty/Staff giving campaign. An personalized email outlining the campaign was sent to each person yesterday. Each division has a representative who may also contact the employees in their division. You can find out who your representative is by visiting thea annual fund website at www.campaign.tcu.edu. Last year a record was set when 75% of TCU employees made a contribution to the annual giving fund. This record applies not only to TCU but we actually rank first in this category when compared to our standard benchmarking universities. When TCU applies for grants, for instance, one of the frequently asked questions is about who supports the university financially. The fact that so many TCU employees support the university financially is a huge selling point and says a lot about TCU. ―We aren’t asking you to take away from other charities you support, we are just asking you to add TCU to the list.‖ said Ms. Kraus. The focus on this campaign is not necessarily on the amount of each give, but on the number of TCU employees who give. ANY gift of ANY size is appreciated and does make an impact. Gifts can be designated to a number of areas. Each college has its own fund as does parking. There is always an opportunity to support scholarships in general and event to support specific scholars; for instance the Greg Trevino scholarship which was set up in honor of a treasured TCU employee who passes away several years ago. You division representative will have a list of all designation possibilities or Ms. Kraus can be contacted directly and will provide a list. Question: When is the deadline? Answer: The deadline for giving is April 24

th.

Question: Is there an opportunity to do a one-time gift? Answer: There is an opportunity to give a one-time gift which can be done using a credit card

online, by filling out a form and sending the form and a check to the annual giving department, or by payroll deduction. About 75% of employees who participate in this giving campaign use payroll deduction to do so.

Question: Are we currently running a scholarship campaign? Answer: We are not currently running a campaign specific to scholarships but scholarships are

always a top priority. Question: Is there a minimum amount that must be given? Answer: No. We are grateful for a gift of any amount.

http://www.campaign.tcu.edu/

Chancellor Boschini shared with us that during the spring Board of Trustee meeting the majority of the time was spent discussing academics and tenure. Two capital projects were presented for approval by the board. The first project is a proposed parking lot near the nursing building that will have approximately 300 spaces. The second project is the proposed renovation of Beasley Hall which will include an elevator, better door egress and a sprinkler system. The Chancellor also shared that there are no changes in benefits in the 2013-2014 budget. Question: What is the status on the project that is in place to bring wages up to market? Chancellor: We are in the third year of this three year project. I am going to defer to Shari Barnes. Shari: The project is intended to review wages with a goal of bringing TCU wages to 80% of

market value. Phase one was a review of faculty wages, phase two was the review of non-exempt positions. The phases have been completed. Stage three is to review exempt positions and we are nearing the end of this phase.

The Chancellor commended Kim Weber for the work she has done as the Chair of Staff Assembly. He said that while it may not appear to be true, she can be tenacious and has done an excellent job of keeping the concerns of staff on the table. Question: How did the SACS visit go? Chancellor:

“As you know, TCU welcomed the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools’ on-site review team to

campus last week. I am pleased to report that due to the extensive and dedicated hard work of many

individuals throughout our campus community, TCU was in compliance with 94 of 98 SACS Principles of

Accreditation. This is a great accomplishment and we are very proud of campus members’ work on this

reaffirmation of accreditation process.

Overall, the SACS review team was very impressed with TCU. They were highly complementary of our

University – the academic quality of our instruction, our consistency with and integration of VIA’s

Cardinal Principles and the TCU Mission, and the spirit of our community.

They also noted many positive aspects of Purple Passport, our Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP)

including:

Emphasis on linking the TCU Mission with the QEP design

Innovative elements of the QEP plan

The importance of including faculty and staff in the QEP plan (not just students)

Engaging with alumni as part of the QEP design

The visiting team noted four areas of concern that we are in the process of addressing. The areas are:

Streamlining our QEP for faster implementation and a stronger focus on student learning (this accounted for two of the four areas)

Developing a better way to assess the research conducted at TCU including faculty and student research, grants, presentations, performances and other forms of research and creative activities

Ensuring that all graduate students have documented appropriate credentials (18 hours in the graduate field of the discipline or additional experiences)

We look forward to receiving a draft of the on-site report. That report will be reviewed and any

inaccuracies corrected. From there, the University will have five months, or until August 2013, to

respond to the four areas of concern. SACS will provide TCU its final ruling on the University’s

reaffirmation of our accreditation in December 2013.”

Question: Have the results bee publically posted? Chancellor: No because we don’t have the official letter from SACS but next week when we get the

results we will post them.


The March minutes were approved.

Committee Reports


Staff members have through the end of today to complete the Staff Assembly and University

Committee survey. So far:

*360 staff members have completed the survey.

*Over 100 nominations for election to Staff Assembly have already been received.

*20 Twenty staff members indicated that wanted to be on the election ballot but did not include their

name

*11 current members of Staff Assembly who did not indicate if they want to continue. Cindy will

contact each of them individually to get their decision.

*335 paper ballots were handed out in the physical plant and to residential housing staff and to date

less than 100 have been returned.

The actual election ballots (both online and paper ballots) will go out next week. We hope to be able

to visit newly elected members to the May meeting but may not be able to make that deadline.

In the May meeting Staff Assembly members who are currently serving will need to elect officers for

the 2013-2014 year. Newly 2013-2014 Staff Assembly members are not eligible to hold one of these

positions.


It has been decided that we will not use the benefits survey taken by the Staff Assembly members will

not be used for anything other than our own internal benchmarking.


Matthew Millns reported that the tour of the TCU campus this group took during FWISD’s spring

break was fun and successful. Tutoring and the tour are now over and the focus is on partnering with

Dr. Williams for the upcoming writing workshop that will be held on Saturday in June from 8am to

noon.


The spring Lunch and Learn professional development workshop will be a ―Social Styles Inventory‖

and will be led by Kelly O’Brien from the Neeley School. It is scheduled for April 11 from 11:30am to

1pm in Tucker 139 and lunch will be provided. There are 60 slots available and registration for this

event is available through the HR website. Seventeen slots have already been filled and this is prior

to Human Resources publicizing the event.

Committee on Committees: Ms. Terri Robinett, Chair

This committee has been working closely with the elections committee.


Aisha Torrey-Sawyer shared several opportunities for staff members to join community service

opportunities that already exist on the TCU campus. On April 6th the Department of Community

Involvement and Service-Learning is sponsoring LEAPS. To learn about this opportunity please visit

leaps.tcu.edu

Trash to Treasure is a program in which items that have been left behind by students are gathered,

sorted and then distributed to local charities. This event will take place from May 6-May 11th. Watch

for emails with more information.

Meals on Wheels is an organization supported by our student body during the academic year. When

students leave for the summer there are a number of delivery slots open. If interested please contact

the Department of Community Involvement and Service-Learning.


There are plans to produce one more Staff Assembly newsletter prior to the end of the 2012-2013

term. The issue will provide information on the Faculty/Staff picnic, include a link to the Town Hall

notes, and continue to promote feedback through the use of the comments section located on the

Staff Assembly website. To date we have received two comments.

We will provide cleaner access to a better explanation of each Staff Assembly sub-committee on the

website.

Kim Weber thanked Jim Gribble for making between 17 and 20 changes on the website in just the

last few weeks.


Faculty Staff Picnic

Due in part to recent discussions pertaining to the TCU budget, the leaders of Staff Assembly and Faculty

Senate have decided to modify plans for the upcoming Faculty/Staff picnic. This year in place of

providing a meal we will host a 2 hour ice-cream social with free tickets to the baseball game. Games for

children and activities such as face painting will also be available. We will provide more information as it

becomes available.

RAD Classes

For the first time, the TCU Police Department is offering nighttime RAD (Rape Aggression Defense) class for women on four consecutive Thursdays. RAD is a cost-free program, designed to help empower women by teaching simple, realistic self-defense tactics and techniques. The classes also cover risk reduction and prevention through a system of personal safety and threat assessment skills. Below are the dates, times and locations of the classes. Those who register must attend all sessions. Thursday, April 4, 6 – 9 p.m. Thursday, April 11, 6 – 9 p.m. Thursday, April 18, 6 – 9 p.m. Thursday, April 25, 6 – 9 p.m.

Proposed Bylaw Changes

Bylaw changes recommendations were presented for review in preparation for a vote in the May meeting. It was noted that in #6 Standing Committee Charges is missing information regarding two committees. Also, it was suggested that the extra responsibilities of past chairs be included. Please email any other suggestions or comments to Kim Weber.

Communication with supervisors about serving on Staff Assembly

Question: How do we communicate to supervisors that Staff Assembly service is supported by the Chancellor?

Answer: The Chancellor did send out a pre-survey email stating his support.

Comment: I am not sure that specific email had a big enough impact for supervisors to remember it in several months.

Question: Is it the responsibility of an employee who is elected to Staff Assembly to sit down with their supervisor and make them aware of the time commitment involved with Staff Assembly? If not, should it be and how can we communicate this to the new 2013-2014 Staff Assembly members?

Question: Should Staff Assembly sent a formal congratulatory letter to newly elected members and carbon copy their supervisor? How would we know who their supervisor is?

Suggestion: When they sign in for their first meeting ask them to provide the name of their supervisor.

Comment: As a supervisor I would appreciate getting that email and would consider it important enough to place in my employee’s personnel file.

No clear decision was made.

Retirement Insurance Benefits

Tomorrow from 9:30am to 11am Extended Health, our new retirement insurance carried, will be on campus in the Kelly Center to review the changes in this benefit to current and faculty and staff.



(unapproved minutes as of 05/07/13)

Date/Time: May 07, 2013



Guests: Chancellor Victor Boschini Brain Gutierrez, Vice Chancellor of Finance and Administration Kenneth Janak, Associate Vice Chancellor of Finance Presentation Kim Weber, Chair, presented Chancellor Boschini with a proclamation in honor of his ten years of service at TCU and his continued support of Staff Assembly.


April 2013 Minutes The April 2013 meeting minutes were accepted as presented with no recommendations for changes. Proposed Bylaw Changes A copy of the proposed bylaw changes were previously emailed to Staff Assembly members for review. A copy of the proposed bylaw changes were presented on overhead screens for review during this meeting. Kim Weber, Chair informed the Staff Assembly body that in order to conduct any business at a meeting, we had to have a quorum present, which is a simple majority of the membership. (We have 63 current members and we had 43 current members in attendance so we met with requirement.) In order for a motion to pass at least two-thirds of the members who are present must agree to pass the motion.

A motion to accept the proposed bylaw changes as presented was made by Greg Blackwell and seconded by Sheri Milhollin. A vote was taken and the requirement of a two-thirds majority was met. The motion passed. The changes will be presented to Administration for ratification. Staff Assembly Perceptions and Recommendations Resolution In response to the recent discussions regarding benefits, Staff Assembly drafted the Staff Assembly Perceptions and Recommendations Resolution. This document was previously emailed to Staff Assembly members for review. A copy of the document was presented on overhead screens for review during the meeting. A motion to adopt the Staff Assembly Perceptions and Recommendations Resolution and to then send it to the Chancellor and to UCAC (University Compensation and Advisory Committee) was made by Greg Blackwell and seconded by Murielle Wright. A vote was taken and the requirement of a two-thirds majority was met. General Election Results In the absence of Cindy McPherson, Kim Weber asked Sheri Milhollin to present the list of 2013-2014 Staff Assembly members. A membership list was given to everyone in attendance. There was a short discussion about the percentage of staff members who actually voted compared to the number of staff members qualified to vote. Only three of the seven units (Advancement, Athletics, Brite, Chancellor’s Office, Finance and Administration, Marketing and Communication and Student Affairs) saw a percentage of 50% or more of eligible voters actually vote with the highest percentage being 58%. Officer Elections Aisha Sawyer-Torrey, 2013-2014 Chair, opened the officer elections. The offices of Chair-Elect, Secretary, and Assistant Secretary/Elections Committee Chair for 2013-2014 need to be filled. A paper ballot was handed out with the names of those who had already been nominated for each of the three positions. Aisha Sawyer-Torrey then opened the floor for addition nominations; to which there were none. Each nominee was given the opportunity to address the membership body. Votes were cast and counted during Brian Gutierrez’s presentation.

Guest: Brian Gutierrez, Vice Chancellor of Finance and Administration

Fiscal Year 2014 Budget Vice Chancellor for Finance and Administration Brian Gutierrez gave a presentation on the operating budget for the next academic year. He informed the group that next year’s budget is a very full one and includes all reasonably expected revenues and expenses, as well as a set-aside reserve for funding initiatives related to the university’s strategic plan, Vision in Action: The Academy of Tomorrow. The budget includes a 5.8% increase in tuition, as approved by the board of trustees. In addition to a commensurate 5.8% increase in financial aid, the trustees also directed that 0.8% of the incremental tuition revenue be applied directly to financial aid. He discussed other revenue sources, including housing revenue from the new residence halls, Big 12 conference athletic revenue, and the payout from the endowment. Next year will be the fifth and final year of the fixed endowment payout floor; beginning in Fiscal Year 2015, the university will revert to the natural endowment payout. Gutierrez then discussed significant expenses in next year’s budget; 12 new faculty positions and 14 new staff positions were approved, as well as salary adjustments for faculty and exempt staff. In addition to the financial aid mentioned previously, the university is setting aside $2 million per year for strategic

purposes; if it is not used, it may be put in the endowment to begin generating additional endowed financial aid in future years. He discussed the reserve that will be used to fund Academy of Tomorrow initiatives, which represents all resources not needed for current operations and not restricted outside of the Academy of Tomorrow. He closed by presenting a schedule of capital expenditures planned through the end of the decade for Academy of Tomorrow initiatives, and he commented that work on these projects is progressing very quickly and involves a substantial amount of effort from people across the campus community. Question: How far south and east are we expanding? Answer: To the east currently plans just extend to creating the Intellectual Commons which will resemble the Residential Commons. To the south we would love to move the pond, make is a little smaller, and turn it into a TCU feature. We could then build a new intermural field. Question: You mentioned that one of the goals of the university is to create a 50%-50% ratio of male to female students. How do we go about moving towards that goal? Answer: That is a difficult goal to achieve. We really don’t have a way to do that at this time. Most colleges and universities are looking at ways to increase male enrollment. One possibility would be to increase financial aid. Follow- Up Question: Have we considered expanding majors as a way to accomplish this goal? Answer: I once heard the Provost say that TCU needs to be known for something and he submitted that “energy, water and food” as a suggestion. He pointed out that the world has a water and food shortage and that the search for new energy sources is ongoing. His opinion is that majors won’t matter if we can weave these three areas into all curriculums. This would create a global connection with global potential. Question: At the recent Town Hall Meetings the Chancellor said that we could save a lot of money if TCU purchased paper from a single source. How can we make that happen? Answer: We do purchase a lot of paper from the same source. We could require this but we don’t.; just like we won’t recall expensive inkjet printers. In order to make this happen it would require compromise by everyone. Some people would have to be willing to make some sacrifices. If the members of this body feel strongly about this then the suggestion is to talk with Deans, Department Head, and Directors about buying paper from a single source

Another area we could save money is by turning off lights and turning off computer screens. These types of changes are not going to be forced from upper administration.


Election Results

Aisha-Sawyer Torrey announced that there was a tie for the position of Assistant Secretary/Elections

Chair. A tie-breaking vote was cast. Janet Martin was elected as the 2013-2014 Assistant

Secretary/Elections Committee Chair; Murielle Wright was elected as the 2013-2014 Secretary; and Sheri

Milhollin was elected as the 2013-2004 Chair-Elect.

Question:

Where are the new members? Traditionally they are invited to this meeting.

Answer:

This year we decided not to invite new members to this meeting but to instead hold a

series of Staff Assembly orientation meetings in June. In the past we have not had any orientation about

Staff Assembly and we have heard from a number of people that it took them well into their first term to

sort of figure out what they were supposed to be doing. We would like to go over responsibilities, review

the different committees, and give new members some general information so they will feel more

prepared in September.

Faculty/Staff Picnic

The Faculty/Staff Picnic will be held on Saturday, May 18th from 1pm to 3pm. The Chancellor provided

200 free general admission tickets to the TCU vs. UT baseball game that begins at 3:30pm. All tickets

were reserved within hours of becoming available.

Staff Assembly and Faculty Senate have partnered with the Letterman’s Club to provide free face

painting, a bounce house, and obstacle course and a pitching game. BBQ plates can be purchased for

just $5 each. The Chancellor has also provided several nice prizes that will be given away.

Thank You for Your Service

All members rolling off were asked to stand and be recognized with a big round of applause.

The meeting adjourned at 4:45pm.

staff assembly general meetingstaffassembly.tcu.edu/.../2015/06/sa-minutes-2012_2013.pdfstaff...

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